The table calls it a tie: Russian Sage and Catmint share the crown at 94 and 94 of 100, a gap smaller than the data can honestly split.
Deer lists built on forum folklore die by June. This one admits only species Rutgers rates A or B after years of observation records; C and D are excluded by rule, and the survivors are ranked on the rating itself, months of bloom and the upkeep of a fence-free garden.
The picks
The flowers that won
The top score, plus the qualifier that asks least of you.
Keeps the show going25 pointseight or more months 25; six to seven 22; four to five 19; three 12; two 6; one 3; no bloom data 6 Read from: the months it is in bloom.
Care while it grows20 pointslow upkeep 20; middling 11; demanding 3; sources disagree, we average the range; no rating 9 Read from: how much upkeep extension guides report.
Thrives on rough deer-country edges15 pointsshrugs off both drought and poor soil 15; drought only 11; poor soil only 7; neither documented 3; no data 6 Read from: stress tolerances.
Not ranked here: Rutgers rates it C or D: deer damage is documented, it cannot lead a deer-resistance list.
The full method ↗
The leaderboard
The top ten
The 10 highest of 42 that qualified. Tap any score to open the lines behind it.
Thrives on rough deer-country edges6 / 15no published rating
Considered, not chosen
Not qualifying is a verdict too: the table simply says this question is not theirs.
Rutgers rates it C or D: deer damage is documented, it cannot lead a deer-resistance listRoses, Tulips, Sunflower and 40 more
The winner's badge
Generated by the ranking above, and re-scored whenever the table changes.
Russian Sage
The badge is generated by this ranking, not awarded by hand. When the
table changes, it re-scores itself.
How we rank
We keep one table of 85 flowers,
with 25 documented facts each, drawn from university and extension sources. Every ranking is
a published formula worth 100 points; tap any score and it unfolds into the lines that made
it. A flower that does not fit the question is not scored lower: it is excluded, and the reason is
shown. When the table changes, every score and stamp updates itself.
The full method ↗
